This invention relates generally to a universal signal processor, decoder and encoder and more particularly to a universal signal processor, encoder and decoder for processing video and audio signals sent and/or received over a cable television wire, or other medium.
Today, most of the marketplace receives their television video and audio signals over a cable communications system, or other similar method of transmission of video and audio data. In order to preserve the integrity of the data and to ensure that the signal is not received and viewed by individuals who are not customers of the particular cable system or have not paid for service, the service providers scramble the signals. Generally, the signals are scrambled in either one of two ways.
First, the electrical wave signal for the audio and video may be inverted. Second, the horizontal sync wave form may have a gain placed upon it, thereby not allowing an individual who is not authorized to receive the signal to read and decode the signal properly. While essentially only these two methods are employed, any number of methods, or a combination thereof may be employed. Therefore, in order to decode a particular encryption scheme, it is necessary for a customer of a cable system to employ a signal decoder (i.e. cable box or converter), or other device, which is specifically designed to decode a particular decoding scheme.
Each cable or other transmitting system must design a customized decoder having a particular hardware or software environment able to decode their signal. The signal typically comprises in part a data word of from between 16 to 24 bits which instructs the decoder that a scrambled signal is to follow, that it is to be decoded and includes information regarding the decoding scheme. Thereafter, upon receipt of a scrambled signal, the decoder will decode the signal, and display and emit proper video and audio signals so that a viewer may view and hear these signals descrambled. While this type of descrambling system has been sufficient, it has the following drawbacks.
First, each signal provider must design a particular decoder for its signal. Typically, a single manufacturer will design and produce such a decoder. Therefore, the signal provider is essentially locked into a single manufacturer for its decoding box. Essentially, the company producing this decoder would have the service provider at its mercy, and would therefore be able to charge very high rental fees to each individual consumer for the rental of its decoder. This could possibly price a particular service provider out of a market if other producers were to charge less for its rentals. Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide a signal decoder which was able to universally decode all signals, so that this one particular universal decoder could be used by all manufacturers of all cable systems with all encoded signals.
Additionally, cable decoders at this time are fully hardwired boxes, and are essentially non-upgradeable. The decoding software or hardware is included within the box. Therefore, the signal provider is limited to the use of a particular encoded signal in order to transmit its information. Any other encoding scheme will not be able to be decoded by the system. If technology were to improve, or additional signal encoding systems were to be invented which would provide a more secure system, a service provider would be required to recall each and every decoder, which would then be obsolete, and reissue new decoders to each of its users. This may be a very time-consuming and expensive process. It is also beneficial to provide an encoder capable of being customized on each individual service provided, and upgraded with a simple module or software upgrade that would upgrade decoders without hardware changes. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide an encoding/decoding system which would (1) be able to decode a number of encoded signals, and (2) have snap-in decoding modules. A customized encoding/decoding scheme eliminates the possibility of nationwide availability of pirate decoders.
Furthermore, pirating and stealing of decoded signals is a major problem confronting the cable industry. Each scrambled signal contains data which instructs a decoder now to decode a signal. It is easy to design a decoder which will illegally decode such a scrambled signal. Thus, it is beneficial to provide an encoded cable signal that does not include instructional data and a decoding system which could decode this signal without the need of this instructional data.
Finally, the marketplace is demanding audio and video equipment that enables the particular user to view movies and other television presentations at home and achieve a movie theater-like quality in the audio and visual presentation thereof. While a great number of products which produce such a result are known in the art, there has been virtually no improvement in the cable television transmission industry to provide such a theater-like atmosphere. These features, which are known in the art, include surround sound, sound retrieval systems (SRS) and three dimensional viewing. As noted, while each of these features is currently available, no equipment in the cable industry employs any of these inventions, and in fact, current cable equipment tends to inhibit rather than enhance the use of these products to produce a home theater environment.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide a cable decoding system which also provides the user the option of viewing a particular program with surround sound, sound retrieval and in three dimensional viewing.